The Meaningful Habits of Highly Successful People — Pt. 1

What do the world’s highest performers have in common? An unshakeable, unbreakable spirit of determination and sheer will — in other words, mental strength. The top athletes, businesspeople, leaders, musicians are often operating from a place of determination and focus on achieving their goals.

The deep knowledge of understanding and knowing that, as the old adage goes, “Failure is temporary, but giving up is permanent.” So often, the struggles of day-to-day living erodes the human spirit, with the micro battles of small disappointments accumulating into a mountain of apathy. The antidote to all this then, is the intentional cultivation of a strong mental state.

The mindset of success is so often associated with massive achievements and big bank accounts. And while money seems to be the most quantifiable metric for which to measure success, it’s in the daily compounded effort of mental strength habits that lead to meaningful success.

The Power of Negative Thoughts

Let’s address first and foremost, the normality of negative thoughts. It’s a deeply real and human experience. And it shouldn’t be ignored. Seeing what you don’t have can be really useful by also recognizing that it can help you think critically and make better decisions. You can look at what’s not working and appreciate it enough to make you want to make a change.

Another thing to be aware of in negative thinking is also being aware that it could be a threat to opportunity and not always a successful way of living. The highest performers are very aware of negative thoughts. But they don’t let it consume them.

As Jim Rohn so eloquently stated:

“Don’t deny yourself to drink from both cups, negative and positive. It’s the life experience. And you wouldn’t have it any other way. What if you went to listen to a symphony orchestra one evening and they only played little happy, high notes? How much of that could you take? That doesn’t represent life. Don’t you want to hear the crash of the cymbals? The music that’ll scare you to death? Describing the tragedy as well as the triumph?”

The biggest danger to negativity is letting it capture you as a victim of indifference, drifting in the sea of negativity. But instead of letting those thoughts derail you, those who overcome it will let those negative thoughts lead them into inspiration. We all do better from inspiration or desperation, so let those negative thoughts get you worked up enough to try harder, set your goals, and go for it!